LETTUCE 215 



The rate of growth of the plants should be carefully 

 considered when making sowings. For example, the 

 seedlings grow much more rapidly in the fall and spring 

 than at midwinter. Ordinarily, the plants should not 

 stand in the seed bed for a period longer than three weeks. 

 In most instances it is better to prick them out in about 

 ten days or less, and then they will be in no danger of 

 becoming weak and spindling from being crowded, and 

 there will be less danger of damping-off. 



It is important to use no more soil than will barely 

 cover the seed. Some growers prefer to use no soil over 

 the seeds, but to keep them moist with burlap until they 

 have germinated and then the covering is promptly re- 

 moved. This practice saves time and produces excellent 

 results. Others barely cover the seed and are careful to 

 maintain uniform moisture conditions in the beds so that 

 germination will be uniform. The seed beds dry out very 

 rapidly during August and the early fall months, so that 

 some shade is usually necessary. 



Many growers sow in solid beds or on raised benches 

 without the use of flats. A large number of growers, 

 however, employ flats because they find them convenient 

 and they believe better plants can be grown in them. If 

 the transplanting is attended to promptly, 2,500 to 5,000 

 plants may be started in a flat 16 by 24 or 12 by 30 inches 

 in size. 



It is doubtful whether lettuce should ever be set closer 

 than 2 by 2 inches apart at the first transplanting. At 

 some seasons of the year and under the most favorable 

 conditions the plants will begin to crowd each other in 

 two to three weeks, when they should be transferred to 

 the permanent beds. At each sowing and transplanting 

 an estimate should be made of the number of plants that 

 will be needed to fill the beds and to take the place of 

 successive cuttings. It is better to err on the side of 

 having too many than too few plants. When there is a 

 surplus, the weaker may be discarded. This will count 



